US News
Children in rural Oregon counties enter foster care at higher rates than those in urban areas
An analysis of state data shows a lack of local resources and prevention services contributes to higher rates of foster care placement in rural communities.
The short version
- An InvestigateWest analysis of Oregon child welfare data found that kids in the state's rural and frontier counties are placed in foster care at almost double the rate of those in urban areas.
- State child welfare providers and advocates attribute the higher rates to a lack of local health care, behavioral health, and social support services, which often makes removal the default response when families struggle.
- While Oregon's total foster care population declined by 11% between 2022 and 2025, the decrease was less pronounced in rural counties compared to urban areas.
Key facts
- An InvestigateWest analysis of five years of state child welfare data found that rural Oregon counties placed children in foster care at almost double the rate of urban areas.[Associated Press]
- In 2025, Malheur County had the state's highest foster care rate with roughly one in 35 kids served, followed by Lake County at one in 36 and Grant County at one in 42.[Associated Press]
- In contrast, Multnomah County, Oregon's most populous county, saw about one in every 122 children placed in foster care in 2025.[Associated Press]
- Across Oregon, more than 6,900 children spent at least one day in foster care last year, representing a significant drop from nearly 10,000 children in 2020.[Associated Press]
- According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, caseworkers cited neglect as a reason for removal in about 56% of cases last year.[Associated Press]
- Advocates point out that many newly expanded family prevention programs—intended to keep families together as part of a 2024 class-action settlement—remain concentrated along the Interstate 5 corridor in western Oregon.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- It is not fully clear whether an increase in statewide foster care entries between 2024 and 2025 represents an ongoing trend, though Oregon officials are currently studying the change.[Associated Press]